Can you Catch a Shooting Star?
by Astria07
Summary: Mrs. Lovett slowly starts to realize she can't force love, and Mr. Todd slowly realizes that maybe love can be found again, both the baker and the barber seem to relate more to each other than they knew. CHAPTER 3 UP
1. Chapter 1

A/N- Well, I'm totally bored, and on wayyy too much caffeine right now, so I decided to write a short story, maybe it will have about five chapters, all about this length. I don't really know where I am going with this story, but if you want me to continue, please review and tell me, or else I won't.

He's like a rock, he is, not one bit of feeling in his entire body.' Mrs. Lovett thought to herself, watching the pale barber pace around his gloomy surroundings.

"Get out." He groaned, she could tell he was angry again, conflicted as she liked to think of it. Then that way it's as if she didn't cause his anger, it was just the demons of his past that caused him to take things out on her. Deep down inside Nellie knew she was to blame, her nit picking personality had always brought out the worst in people, she was a strong one, a force to be reckoned with, the eyelash that fell into your pupil and wouldn't come out, no matter how hard someone blew, or rubbed on it.

"Mistah T, no need to get snappy with me, I'm only tryin' to help." She replied biting her lip, she knew his reaction wasn't going to be pleasant, but she figured any reaction at all from such a vegetable of a person would be quite alright.  
"You haven't seen me snappy yet, Mrs. Lovett, Maybe my mood right now seems a little agitated, that it is, but you don't want to see me, snappy." Sweeney stated with an eerie calmness filling his voice. She decided that pushing the matter would make things far more worse, she tugged at the bottom of her skirt so that she wouldn't fall over herself, and exited the room before the awkward silence became dangerous.

"Pretty women." Sweeney held one of his friends lightly in his hand, analyzing it's every glorious detail.

"Are a wonder." He whispered underneath his breath, closing his eyes, he continued to finger the cold metal, the smoothness of it's surface making his skin tingle with contentedness.

The glowing of the moon was apparent through his foggy window, the town was now quiet, dying down from the usual noise and bustle of the day. Benjamin Barker had always loved to stare at the night sky, the glowing shine of the moon, but today, Sweeney Todd decided he had liked the shine of his blades a whole lot more.

Mrs. Lovett didn't like what she saw in the mirror, not only was her skin flushed and pale as a ghost, her once treasured hair had become a rat's nest itself. No wonder Mr. Todd didn't want to lay a finger on her, she was dirt compared to Lucy. Lucy, with her golden hair that looked almost surreal against her creamy sun kissed skin. The natural lady like appeal she possessed, how she could bring a man down to his knees with one bat of her full eyelashes. Nellie had always been jealous of her, but she had no reason to keep reminiscing about the old Lucy, she was now a dirty, insane thing of the streets. Barely recognizable, and completely unrecognizable from a far away distance.

Though Mr. Todd didn't know any of this, in his mind, Lucy had died a while back by taking her own life, just as Nellie had told him. She had died as the angel she was fifteen years before, but she was now nothing but a filthy beggar and a prostitute.

Nellie's hands wandered to her full head of curly auburn hair, she began taking out the dozens of pins arranged messily around her scalp. Each strand was drier than the other, she had no hope for her hair at all, it had grown to crazy to deal with anymore, and she simply needed to do something about it. Mrs. Lovett threw on her silky black robe, and wandered out of her room, making her way up the rickety flight of stairs that led to Mr. Todd's barber shop.

"Mistah T, Mistah T, please open up." She pleaded, banging on the door with her right hand, an oil lamp firmly placed in her left one. An irritated Sweeney answered the door after much hesitation.

"What is it that you want Mrs. Lovett?"

"I want you to cut me hair Mistah T, please." Nellie stared into the barber's eyes, his expression seemed to ease a little, and he stepped back wards, motioning for her to enter his working space.


	2. Chapter 2

"Sit." Sweeney mumbled pointing to the apulstered chair which had helped cause many unexpected deaths. She cringed slightly.

"No, I think I'll stand..." She whispered pulling her robe closer to her shivering body.

"What?" Sweeney stated, a slightly amused expression plastered on his face." Are you scared Mrs. Lovett? Are you afraid that my lust for blood will overcome my common sense, and I'll slit your throat in a moment of misjudgement?"

"I don't know, I just feel more comfortable standing right now Mistah T-" She stuttered nervously.

"Oh Mrs. Lovett, you are far too important to me to suffer that sort of fate." He replied placing his strong hands on her shoulders and slowly sitting her down on the chair.

Her breathing slowly returned to a normal pattern as her nerves settled a bit.

"Now what is it that you want me to do Mrs. Lovett?"

"I want ya to cut me hair Mr. Todd, it's too ard' to take care of now, with all the messy work I ave' to do now, ya see." She explained holding out a peice of her unruly hair for him to see.

"How much do you want off?" He asked casually.

"Well, I don't know, I suppose half of it is a good amount." She sighed, her hair had once been her pride, she remembered brushing it out daily, counting the many times she pulled the comb through her curls.

The amused look on Sweeney's face had dissapeared and he was now looking at the dusty floorboards.

"No." He replied simply.

"No? Wot' do you mean Mistah T?" Nellie responded confused.

"I won't cut that much off, I refuse too. Now, leave me." He mumbled, walking to the corner of the room, he continued to sulk in his own thoughts.

"Why not?" She replied frowning. Mr. Todd was such a mystery to her, sometimes he hated her, sometimes he thought she was a bloody genius, and their were always those times where he looked as if he was quite fond of her.

"I like your hair." He replied softly, a tone which Nellie had never heard him use, he liked it? The thought would have never dawned on her.

"Well, thank ya Mistah T, I really never would've thought you liked it..." She slowly walked over to him and placed her small hand on his shoulder.

"Are ya alright my love?" She asked.

"You don't need to change yourself Mrs. Lovett." His tone was once again a more raspy one.

"But ya don't like the real me Mistah T." She whispered under her breath, not really caring if he had heard her. He certainly did though.

"On the contrairy Mrs. Lovett, I do like you. I just have other things on my plate right now." He responded looking into her eyes. "And it certainly dosen't help when you are so pushy, you know." He added sighing a bit.

"I'm sorry Mr. Todd, I aven't anything to say, but you're right, you are."

"You musn't rush romance Mrs. Lovett, let it come to you." Sweeney extended his hand out to Nellie's and her eyes widened.

"Mr. Todd, wot' are ya doin'?" She asked confused.

"What is this now? No more Mistah T?" He replied playfully, running his long fingers through her frizzy hair.

"No, of course not Mistah T, jus' lost me train of thought is all, ya kinda caught me off guard, ya did." She laughed nervously, she wanted to trust Mr. Todd, she really did, but she wasn't very sure he wouldn't take one of his "friends" to her throat right now, just out of pure boredom.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N-**_**My updating really needs to quicken, I worked REALLY hard on this chapter, and I used an idea that I got from a Hindi movie, called "Om Shanti Om" It's absolutely amazing, and one of my new obsessions. I loved the idea, so I decided to use it for one of the themes, the idea from the movie is only used for the flashback, and the ending quote that Sweeney says is from "Om Shanti Om" too. **_

_**There is also a quote I use from the film "Candy" )**_

_**I hope you guys like it, I tried my best to make it east to understand, if you like the whole flashback deal, you should watch "Om Shanti Om" Even if you're not Indian, I'm not! HAHA. I also would like to add, I didn't like the idea of Albert being very big 15 years ago, maybe years after he became obese, but not before Sweeney was exiled, I'm making Albert out to be a very successful and good looking man, just like the character of "Mukesh" in "Om Shanti Om" **_

_**I love all the reviews! Considering I'm an attention whore! HAH. Jay Kay!**_

_**(Part in italic is Sweeney's thoughts.)**_

_**Disclaimer- I don't own anything. Don't sue me, I'm poor. **_

**Chapter 2- **

The shop opened at nine-thirty in the morning, business had been extremely slow and the lack of ingredients for pies didn't seem to help. Mr. Todd had been passed out in his room all morning, or so Mrs. Lovett thought, the truth was that she didn't really want to confront him after the events of the previous night.

"Ma'am, ow' come nones eating er' today?" Young Toby asked.

"I haven't an idea me love, maybe it's just a lazy day for everyone." Mrs. Lovett bit her lip nervously, she couldn't help but to worry about the outcome of her usually buss ling shop.

"I think we'll close to shop early today love, maybe play a game of chess, ow' does that sound?" She smiled down upon him.

"Really, Ma'am? Pirelli never let me play anything, or with anyone, kept me inside all day in that storage room, was as dull as a stone, I was." Toby's words pained Mrs. Lovett greatly, Tobias was such a loving, hard working boy, she didn't understand why anyone wouldn't treat him well.

"I'll even make a batch of them pecan raisin cookies you fancy so much." She added.

"Can I ave' a spot of gin too Ma'am?" He replied, his eyes wide in hope.

"Of course me love, anything that makes ya' happy." Nellie ran her hand through his short dark hair, a small smile plastered on her face.

"Now, you go change the signs in front, alright?"

"Right away Ma'am!" He chirped sprinting out of sight.

Mr. Todd stirred in his chair, letting out a slightly pained yawn. He pulled himself up and onto the ground, he suddenly heard a loud clanking noise and looked around to find the source. An empty bottle of liquor, the top of it was slightly cracked, and there was a drip left in the bottom of the bottle. Sweeney became enraged as the memory of the previous hours flooded back into his mind. The way the strands of loose hair fell into her eyes, the way his lips kissed her pale chapped ones, and how she would slightly nibble at his lip when she became nervous and unsure. Mr. Todd remembered these details vividly, it all seemed like a lucid dream, but far too lucid to be fiction. He knew what happened last night, though the fact that he did remember irked him, he had washed down a whole bottle of rum by himself. Mr. Todd shuttered and tried best to clear his mind. He hesitantly trudged down the staircase, quietly tapping his feet on the wood, before meeting someone halfway.

"Mrs. Lovett." He mumbled, his eyes firmly glued on her small, yet curvaceous frame.

"Good Morning, Mistah T..." She replied quietly. "I ave' you're breakfast right ere'."

"Thank you, he leaned against the railing of the stairs, allowing Mrs. Lovett to quickly make her way up towards his room. He followed behind her, at loss of what he would say next.

_'I'll apologize, yes, that's what I'll do. It is my fault, I was intoxicated, I took advantage of her in my time of need, I'll say sorry, she will understand; she must.'_

"Sit, Mrs. Lovett." Sweeney muttered, she placed a tray of food on the desktop, and turned to look at him suspiciously.

"It's quite alright Mistah T, I think I'll stand." She stuttered.

Sweeney chuckled slightly, amused by her comment, she was visibly afraid to sit in his barber chair, maybe it was the fact that many who have sat in it, suffered a brutal death before being dropped down a chute.

"Well, Nellie, I wanted to apologize-" He started.

"Apologize?" Mrs. Lovett cut in, panic taking over her voice.

"For last night-" He stated, carefully thinking about the words to use. "My behavior, was inappropriate, and I am truly sorry for that."

"Mr. Todd, I, well... thank you." She stuttered nervously.

"I do consider you a friend Mrs. Lovett, ever since I returned to Fleet Street, you have been an incredible help to me, and I do appreciate that."

"I'm glad you think that, Mistah T. I value your company, you know." She replied shyly, her hands laced together, keeping in all the warmth she could.

"It's quite cold up ere', maybe you should start sleeping in the den until Spring comes along." Mrs. Lovett paced around the cramped room, looking for any source of heat, only stumbling across a half burned white quilt.

"There's no need." Mr. Todd simply replied, taking a sip of water from a glass. He looked over at her, she was taking a great interest upon a piece of fabric lying in her hands.

A small tear rolled slowly down her cheek. The last time she had seen the quilt in her hands was fifteen years ago. The Lacy fabric was slightly burned at the edges and was covered in ash. She was unaware for many years that it had been hid away in a drawer, gathering dust as well.

"What's the matter Mrs. Lovett?" Mr. Todd walked over to her, and recognized the source of her grief.

"Fifteen years is a long time, yet the memory of that night is vivid in every sense." She stated calmly, eyes still glued on the quilt. She slowly closed her eyelids and let the image come back to her.

Fifteen Years Ago-

Nellie's eyes glanced every bit of her surroundings, the beautiful luxurious crimson walls, the winding staircase, the perfectly sculpted golden horse in the center of the room. The scene was too beautiful for words, it was more exquisite than any mansion or castle she could imagine in a dream.

"I designed this Nellie, I helped build this foundation with my bare hands, see how magnificent it is?" The young man's voice echoed throughout the large room. He stood tall, staring at his work. He reached into his pant pocket and pulled out his cigarette case, taking one to his lips and lighting the end.

Nellie watched her husband inhale and exhale nicotine, smoke filling her nostrils. She cringed, Nellie wasn't too fond of smoking. Albert wasn't her first choice for a husband, her parents merely forced her into the marriage, Albert's father was a dear friend of her families, they had been planning out their marriage since she was only five. She didn't complain though, he wasn't all too bad, he was in great shape, and kept himself in amazing condition, buying and wearing only the most expensive apparel.

"You complain a lot Nellie, more than any wife should, I buy you everything you want, show you new opportunities, and when I ask you for one thing in return, you can't let me have it." Albert stated, rage filling his eyes.

"What are you talking about Albert?" She replied nervously, backing away from him.

"The baby, Nellie. I told you to get rid of it, I can't have this child screwing up my chances at being famous, I could be the most renowned architect in all of London, don't you understand?! Well, of course not." He snickered bitterly.

"It's our baby Albert! We're married, I'm your wife, how could you not want this child?" She replied angrily.

"You don't listen! You never listen, that is your problem, you're too busy running off your mouth to listen!" Albert grabbed her by the neck, and continued to angrily rant.

"You're hurting me Albert!" Nellie cried, struggling to break free from his strong hold.

"No, Nellie, You're hurting me!" He spat back.

"I can't let you hold me back anymore." Albert pushed her back onto the staircase. Nellie let out a cry of pain.

Albert pulled a pack of matches out of his jacket and began to ignite one.

"I'm sorry Nellie, but this has just got to be done." Albert said before sparking the tip of the match and dropping it on the floor.

"No! Albert, please!" Nellie pleaded, her eyes widened in fear.

Flames rose up from the ground, Albert had soaked the floor in gasoline before he brought her up to the room. It was in a perfect circle around the staircase; Nellie was trapped.

He turned around towards the door and took a puff of his cigarette once again. He turned around to see Nellie crying and pacing around the circle, curtains flaring and smoke rising. He knew he was sacrificing the hard work he had finished, his beautiful building, but he figured it paid off in the end, if Nellie and the baby were gone, he could be well on his way to completing his goals.

Once Albert was gone, Nellie was still trapped and frightened beyond belief. She figured this was the moment she would die, alone, surrounded by blazing fire, a fate she never imagined. Her prayers were answered though, she was almost unconscious, but she could see out of the corner of her eye, a certain person running up to her, sweeping her into his arms, and being carried away from the heat. Nellie's eyes flickered open, she studied the face of the man whom was carrying her. His face was covered in ash, and a cut on his face bled all the way onto his neck, but she knew who he was, Benjamin Barker, the barber who lived above her, with his virtuous wife and little baby girl, Benjamin Barker, the man she had been secretly in love with for months now. Ben placed a thin quilt over her face to protect it from the flames as he ran with her in his arms.

End Of Flashback

"You saved my life. Albert left me in that room to die, and you came for me, carried me out until I was safe." Mrs. Lovett wiped a tear away from her eye and turned to look at Sweeney who had a look of sadness on his face.

"But the baby, he died in the morning." Nellie muttered. "I hate him, I hate Albert, I hate him, I hate him!" She screamed, anger taking over her body, she fell to the floor and pounded on the wooden boards covered with dust. Sweeney took her in his arms and whispered in her ear as she cried.

"Shhh, my love, he's in hell, where he belongs, nothing can harm you now."

"I want to be happy, I do, but I don't know how." She cried.

"If you want something enough, the whole universe conspires to help you get it."

An hour passed by, and Mr. Todd and his companion and baker still sat together, on those dusty floorboards, talking about everything and anything, and they both couldn't help but to think maybe, just maybe, times wouldn't be as hard anymore.

**A/N- Did you like it? Tell me! Submit a review! PLEASE! Want more chapters? REVIEW! Next Chapter should be out soon, I promise. **


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